The Final Chapter

A Tribute to Moko

Our beautiful dolphin Moko was found dead today and I am devastated.

Moko's body was found this morning on the ocean side of Matakana Island, very near the Tauranga harbour entrance. It would seem that he has been dead for 2-3 weeks and with no obvious injuries everyone is wondering how (and why). Hopefully the necropsy will shed some light, maybe he ingested some rubbish or succumbed to a human virus, perhaps he was hit by a boat or caught in a fishing net. Although we may never know the cause, due to the bad state of his body. I just hope he didn't suffer.

Moko brought so much joy and pleasure to so many people, not only here in New Zealand, but right around the world. A very special dolphin, he will live on in the hearts of many who will hold dear their wonderful memories of Moko. He will also live on in the thousands of photos and videos and will be remembered and talked about for generations to come. Moko was, and will always be, a national treasure, he has become a part of New Zealand history and I feel very privileged to be able to say that I knew him. Thank you Moko for the precious memories.

Rest easy Moko, you were one very special dolphin and may there be a stockpile of boogie boards waiting for you in heaven. Gone from the sea but not from our hearts.

A beautiful poem that describes the joy of swimming with a friendly dolphin;

The Dolphin
by Kate Carr

Have you swum with a friendly dolphin
When the day dawns clear and bright,
And seen his welcoming leap of joy,
As you leave the harbour and pass the buoy?
That's pure delight.
Have you swum with a friendly dolphin,
Dozing under the noonday sun,
and stroked his belly so smooth and strong,
Or felt yourself being towed along
In elfin fun?
Have you swum with a friendly dolphin
In the sunset's fiery glow,
When every wavelet is tinged with gold,
And his silhouette, so huge and bold,
Is a graceful bow?
Have you swum with a friendly dolphin
As the silvery moon rides high,
And ocean and earth are bathed in white,
And the dolphin's aglow with a phosphorous light,
As he glides by?
Have you swum with a friendly dolphin
In the South Sea's rolling swell?
Or a choppy squall, as a cloud passed by,
And a leaden greyness darkened the sky,
And raindrops fell?
Have you swum with a friendly dolphin
And a boatload of friends of a kind?
The harmony linking you all, and him,
As you tumble out of the boat for a swim -
It blows your mind.
Have you swum with a friendly dolphin
And known your panic allayed?
Be it ladders or snorkels - whatever your fear -
Perhaps the oceans depth; once the dolphin's near
You're not afraid.
Yes, I've swum with a friendly dolphin
In the moonlight, the sun and the rain;
And the varying moods of the ocean swell
And my life will never - I know full well -
Be the same again.

Moko is Missing

"...To the dolphin alone, beyond all other, nature has granted what the best philosophers seek: friendship for no advantage"
— Plutarch

I am so glad I made the effort to see Moko in Pilot Bay Thursday evening, the day he arrived in Tauranga Harbour. Because, as I predicted, it was my only chance. Moko has disappeared without trace.

The sun sets on Moko at the Mount

I had heard anecdotal evidence that he was in the harbour on Friday and Saturday and was seen with surfers near one of the ocean beaches at one stage but none of the regular Moko swimmers had managed to locate him. And he certainly didn’t attract attention to himself with reports of only a couple of kayakers playing with him near the Sanford wharf. This was actually good news as Saturday was the first day of a long holiday weekend and the worry was a huge crowd gathering to play with and touch Moko, most never having been in the presence of a friendly dolphin and not knowing the protocol of interacting with him.

Unfortunately I was unable to search in any great depth for him on either of these days due to prior engagements; child minding & visiting family. I was able to do a quick drive around some of the likely places that he might be at on both days though but I had no luck either. I also walked the Mount’s base track on Saturday morning keeping a watchful eye out for any unusual activity on the water and in Pilot Bay. And from home I scanned the harbour with the telescope regularly just in case I caught sight of a lone leaping dolphin looking for company.



Tauranga Harbour

Tauranga harbour is huge with many large estuaries, streams and rivers entering it and a number of small islands. There are only two entrances, one at either end of Matakana Island which forms a 20km long natural barrier against the open ocean. There are many places that Moko could have swum to although I don't expect he would have gone any higher than Omokoroa, a harbour side settlement located on a small peninsula that juts into the harbour about half way up. Just beyond Omokoroa the tidal mudflats reach right acorss the harbour with only a small shallow channel that allows access at high tide to the upper reaches.


Matakana Island & the Pacific Ocean

Motuhoa Island to the left & Omokoroa to the right



Tauranga City

Sulphur Point Marina & Mt Maunganui



Harbour Bridge Marina



Main Beach, Pilot Bay & the harbour stretching away in the background

A storm blew up overnight on Saturday with Sunday dawning grey & misty with torrential rain and gale force winds, a totally miserable day on land and out on the water. I went for a drive and searched methodically, right around the inner harbour and along the ocean beaches. I stopped and checked all the boat ramps, up and down both sides of the two major estuaries, the commercial fishing wharves at Sulphur Point and Dive Cres, along The Strand and under the Matapihi rail bridge, the Sulphur Point and Harbour Bridge marinas along with all the moored boats and unoccupied buoys throughout the harbour.



Sulphur Point boat ramp & marina

The Strand, Tauranga



Sulphur Point

Sanfords fishing fleet

Even the oystercatchers were hove-too into the wind

Then I moved on over to The Mount checking Salisbury Wharf and Pilot Bay, the Main Beach, Tay Street and Omanu beaches and a few extra beach spots in between and then retracing the same route back home just in case Moko had decided to make an appearance after I’d left. Moko certainly wouldn’t have been anywhere along the ocean beach as it was very rough with a large swell and messy waves.


A deserted Pilot Bay

Main Beach, Mt Maunganui

It was actually good that it was a dismal day out as I would have seen less than a dozen people during my search. There was absolutely no one about, near or on the water. It would have made it easy to spot Moko if someone had managed to locate him and had been playing with him. You would certainly have had to have a good reason to be paddling, boating or swimming on a day like this and Moko would have been a very good reason indeed.

Sadly I had no luck and after two hours of searching I headed home. There was no luck either for a few other dedicated Moko friends who had travelled up from Whakatane to search. Eskdale, the fishing trawler that had caused all the problems was still tied up at the wharf although the rumour mill was working overtime and had it leaving at various times over the next few days. In fact it was still tied up there along with a few other trawlers that arrived over the weekend after a very rough time at sea.


Dive Cres Commercial Wharf

There were various reports of Moko making his way back to Whakatane and of being spotted at Thornton, a beach settlement down the coast but none of them could be called trustworthy, there has been so much inaccurate information out there and from what should be reliable sources; the media and DOC (Dept of Conservation). Just more dashed hopes for all the people waiting to hear that Moko had been located safe and sound.

And while we all have a great affection for Moko I think I can safely say that everyone’s long term hope is that Moko has returned to the ocean in search of a pod and a female dolphin to call his own. Until we hear otherwise I guess we can only dream that this has indeed happened.

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday I followed the same routine, a drive around all the possible spots, re-checking that the Eskdale was still in port and scanning the harbour and Pilot Bay at least a dozen times during the day through the telescope…..just in case. The last two days the harbour has been a mill pond and it’s been easy for me to follow boats and yachts along the channels hoping to catch sight of a lone leaping dolphin. I even followed the pilot boat in through the entrance a couple of times along with the ships shortly afterwards and then the tugs who came to meet them. Still no luck.

Today (Friday) my only check was the Eskdale (still in port) while I was out on another errand although I still couldn’t help checking the harbour every time I passed the telescope. And then this evening, another drive by to check that the Eskdale was still there(she was) after a call from some Moko friends who had heard (once again) that she had left port and was heading back to Whakatane.



The Eskdale

I feel for sure that Moko has headed out to the open ocean, perhaps on Saturday night before the storm hit. He would surely have made his presence known to anybody out on the water this past week. He has a habit of annoying the hell out of paddlers, surfers, and boaties; head butting their hulls and stealing their paddles and boards and there has been no word of this.



Moko with a stolen board at Ohope

I hope and pray that he is safe and happy wherever he has gone. He may well pop up again in the not too distant future and not too far away. When he was in Mahia he went missing for days on end (and sometimes a few weeks) before showing up again. But there he didn’t have the intense and constant interaction with people that he’s been having in Whakatane. He must surely be missing his adoring playmates and minders and I know that they are all missing him very much.

Moko you are one very special dolphin, my mate. You have had such a huge and profound impact on many lives, we all will miss you dearly but we wish you well. It’s been a wonderful privilege to meet you and I am so glad I managed to see you when you made your brief visit to my town. Was it good-bye? I hope not.

"There is something about dolphins.
It is difficult to put into words..."
— Mark Carwardine

Moko Comes to the Big Smoke!

Well it was always on the cards and while I've joked often enough that Moko might make it up the coast and into the Tauranga harbour, I secretly hoped he wouldn't make Mt Maunganui & Tauranga his home. Whakatane has taken such good care of Moko, they were thrown in the deep end with regards to Moko's well being and how to act and react around him. Whakatane has so many passionate people looking out for Moko and through many trials and tribulations they have managed to keep him safe and well and most importantly educate the public on the ways of a cetacean who loves human contact. Let’s hope Tauranga & the Mount people can take a leaf out of our neighbour's book.

Moko arrived in Tauranga harbour yesterday morning (June 3rd) after following the Eskdale, a fishing trawler that had been sheltering at Whale Island off the coast from Whakatane. This was also where Moko had decamped to after torrential rain and flooding in Whakatane over the weekend. The Whakatane River, where Moko spent quite a bit of his time, was in full flood with a lot of logs and debris, and thick with silt, it was no place for an ocean loving dolphin.

The Eskdale

There was also a pod of orca (a dolphin's arch enemy) that had been in the vicinity for a few days. In fact, sadly one of the orca, a teenage male, died and washed ashore on Piripai Spit just a few hundred metres from the Whakatane River entrance.

By sheer coincidence, the Eskdale was the trawler that Moko had followed from Gisborne, around the East Cape to Whakatane back in January. The skipper of the Eskdale believes Moko likes his loud AC/DC music but those that know Moko believe it's the stabilizer bar and large orange buoys that float along beside the trawler. Moko spent a lot of his down time in Whakatane snuggled up with the Evelyn J, a boat that dredges the Whakatane Bar, it has stabilizer bars too. Moko loves to rub his body on the bars and swim alongside them and the chains that hang in the water when the boat's motoring along.

The Eskdale is due to leave Tauranga port this morning on a five day fishing trip & everyone is wondering  if  Moko will follow. The skipper had turned down a $3000 bribe by a tourist operator in Gisborne to get Moko to return to Gisborne. A joke maybe, but I think he was very serious, Moko generates a lot of visitors from out of town and overseas wherever he goes.

Pilot Bay, Mt Maunganui. Mt Maunganui (Mauao) is an extinct volcano cone.

I heard around midday that Moko had arrived in town but had to wait until I got home later in the afternoon before I could check out his location. After a short time scanning the harbour with the telescope from our deck I zeroed in on a growing crowd in Pilot Bay. Usually this wouldn't indicate anything other than a lot of families and people walking and sunning themselves in the late afternoon sunshine on one of the most popular beaches in New Zealand. But it's June and it's winter and the sun was setting. There were quite a number of people in the water along with even more scattered along the shoreline. And they all seemed to walking one way in unison and then back the other and then back again. More slinky black shapes joined the group, wetsuits obviously. A sure indication that Moko was in their midst.

I grabbed my camera and jacket, shouted out departing goodbyes (I should have been bathing and feeding our granddaughter her dinner before she returned home, instead her father finished the job for me. I know Pete understands my passion for Moko) and headed to the Mount in 5pm rush hour traffic. My Mate Moko couldn't come to town, my town and have me miss him. The sun was sinking fast but I knew I had to see him tonight just in case it was a brief visit and he'd be gone in the morning. Eight minutes later and a silent thankyou to the powers that be for the new flyover and second harbour bridge and I was pulling into a parking spot in Pilot Bay.

Sure enough in knee deep water I caught sight of that familiar fin. Moko was playing to his audience and they were thoroughly enjoying it. Squeals and shouts, laughter and chatter filled the air. Up and down he swam, in and out. I could see he had a bottle balanced on his nose at one stage, playing his old games with his new fans. Fetch and chase. I also saw a couple of tail slaps, Moko letting someone know he doesn't appreciate some things like being cuddled or having his fin held onto. Oh they have a lot to learn. I smiled when a guy on a wave ski paddled into the middle, all bravo and "look at me, I’m cool", Moko soon tipped him off his board. Again. And again. "You won't win mate" I felt like shouting to him. The paddler finally lifted his board clear of Moko and made his way back to shore.

Oops, over you go!

I spotted the familiar profile of a person outlined in the gloom of dusk, she was standing at the back of the group in the water, carefully watching, waiting and offering advice when needed. I breathed a sigh of relief, a Moko minder from Whakatane. Now that is dedication. Thankfully she will be able to impart some of her immense knowledge of Moko to new minders if Moko decides to stay.

The sun sets behind the Kaimais

Tauranga harbour is not actually a great place for a dolphin to take up residence. Too many fast pleasure boats, a lot of large fishing trawlers coming and going, huge international ships and powerful tug boats, a very narrow shipping lane with a 24/7 working log and container port, large expanses of tidal mudflats not to mention the extremely narrow entrance into the harbour through which all water traffic large, small and with fins must pass.

Tauranga Harbour entrance ~ Pilot Bay to the left around the corner,
Tauranga city straight ahead and Matakana Island on right

A yacht sailing through the Entrance on a very fast outgoing tide

 

                                           The Mount base track

 

 Tangaroa, Maori god of the sea stands guard at the Entrance

So in the fading light with the beautiful silhouette of our special Mauao as a backdrop and an extra special treasure in the water below I said a silent goodbye to Moko. I’m so please that Moko paid a visit but I hope Moko decides the Big Smoke isn't for him. And once again I say "stay safe Moko, my mate"

Oh No, Not More Moko!

I had my nephew Leighton staying with me for some of the school holidays and I thought it would be great to take him to swim with Moko. Wouldn't that be a tale to tell when he returned to his Napier school next week. It was also a great excuse for me to catch up with Moko again!

I’d checked the forecast and saw that either Thursday or Friday would be good. Sunny days and calm seas. We decided on Friday and although it dawned bright and sunny there was a stiff cold southwester blowing. Not too much of a problem as this would mean an off shore breeze to flatten the waves if Moko was in the sea at Otarawairere Bay or West End Beach. If he was in the river it was going to be a chilly encounter.

We made good time travelling the 90kms from Tauranga to Whakatane in just over an hour. It’s a lovely scenic stretch of road that passes through the green orchards and shelter belts of Te Puke, the Kiwifruit Capital of the World.

 

Kiwifruit Orchard

Then out along the coast which has wonderful views across the Bay of Plenty, with the islands of Motiti, Plate and Whale just off shore and the volcanic White Island a bit further out. There are some great beach communities along the way; Maketu, Pukehina, Matata, and Thorndon. Along the Matata Straights are hundreds of huge pohutukawa trees that hang precariously off the white cliffs, in early summer they make a wonderful sight all decked out in crimson red.

 

Matata Beach & Whale Island

 Finally the road takes us across the river flats and past the multitude of dairy farms that stretch from the back blocks of Edgecumbe right up to the edge of the sand dunes on the coast.

 

The extinct volcano cone of Mount Edgecumbe

As we cross the Whakatane River we take a quick peek to see if there are any people about. Moko has been known to be this far up the river some days. No one in sight today. Later, on our way home, we see a couple of DOC vehicles and a car from a local Maori Trust parked at the bridge. It would have given me more of a fright had I not just left Moko but we can see a group of people huddled around something on the river bank close to the water's edge. I wonder what has died, maybe a seal.....

Unfortunately the twitters and Moko updates had hit a snag earlier in the week and there was silence from that quarter, I was on my own. Luckily I had enough knowledge to be able to work out where Moko might be hanging out. First port of call was down near the river mouth; I drove through town to the playground on the river bank. Moko can quite often be found at Piripai Spit which is across on the other side of the river opposite the playground. I was hoping he wasn’t going to be there as it’s near impossible to get across to the other side unless you can catch a boat or are a very good swimmer. I forgot my binoculars but I could make out a couple of small tinnies and a few people walking over the dunes but no one swimming in the river which I assumed meant no Moko.

Across the Whakatane River

Back in the car our next stop was Otarawairere Bay, though not quite, I thought it would be worth a stop at the iSite to see if they had heard anything this morning. “Not a word” the friendly guy said “but if you find him can you let us know?” Well, maybe.

Up over the hill we drove and took the short trip into Otarawairere village to check if there were any cars at the head of the track down into the bay. This would be a good indication if Moko was down there, on my other visits there have been anything up to 20 cars parked in this quiet little cul-d-sac. Today there wasn’t a vehicle in sight! Great, that saved me a strenuous walk. I was almost certain Moko wasn’t at Otarawairere Bay.

Only one more place to check out, West End Beach at Ohope, before it would be back to the river for a bit more of a thorough search upstream. I wasn’t holding out much hope as although Moko has hung out at West End before he’s mostly been discouraged as he steals the surfers boards and generally makes a nuisance of himself.

As we drove down the beach front we couldn’t quite make out whether the little black dots we could see out in the waves at the end of the bay were regular surfers or people swimming. If they were swimmers then this was unusual as it’s now autumn and the water is quite chilly and not that inviting. Once we got to the carpark at the end of the road we could see that they were indeed swimmers and if I needed any more convincing that Moko was out there somewhere the carpark was full of Mums, Dads and kids in various stages of undress as they fought their way into and out of a wide assortment of swimwear and wetsuits! Another check of the waves and sure enough I spotted Moko’s fin in amongst the small gathering of kids and adults.

West End Beach, Ohope

We’d found him and now the race was on to get into our swimwear and get out there. I get the same anxious feeling every time I find him, wondering if Moko might decide he’s had enough and be off out to sea  before I'm ready to join him. I needn’t have worried, we had plenty of time. He was still happily playing in the breakers two hours later when I left.

We both had our wetsuits and reef shoes on and I’d have to say they were needed although I still think the water was quite a bit warmer than usual for this time of the year. After the initial gasp as the water seeps in between the gaps it was toasty warm, I could have quite happily stayed out there all day. Leighton only had a summer weight wetsuit with shorter sleeves and legs so he did get a bit cold towards the end. He also nabbed my noodle to support him in the water, I hadn't thought to bring my second one. Oh well, I'm sure there would be plenty for Moko to play with anyway.

Leighton ready to hit the waves!

It was also obvious why Moko was at West End too. This little corner of the beach was very sheltered from the stiff southwester that was blowing; the waves were mostly very small with the occasional big one thrown in to keep those of us with cameras on our toes and to give Moko a chance to show us his surfing skills!

It was the last Friday of the school holidays and there were plenty of children out with their parents who were enjoying seeing, touching and playing with Moko.

There were lots of people swimming in their clothes or their underwear as well as wetsuits and togs. One lady caused much mirth amongst her friends when she arrived at their sides wearing just a G-string and a shirt, luckily(for her and us) Moko was hanging out at in about thigh deep water! Moko obviously has that effect on people, they’ve just got to seize the opportunity and get in and swim with him.

I heard one English lady (swimming in her clothes) say that this had got to be the highlight of not only her NZ holiday but of her lifetime. She could not believe that she was able to just wade out off a beautiful beach on a beautiful sunny day and not only see a dolphin but have him allow her to stroke him too. It was such a privilege and a memory she would treasure forever.

Moko seemed to be enjoying all the attention and was quite happily swimming in and around us all and sharing himself around everyone.

He’d play for a bit with one toy and then move on to another. For most of the time everyone gave him his space and patiently waited until he chose to come over to them. Some couldn't quite reach him even with Mum's help-

Every so often Moko would speed away through the water to catch a wave, he enjoyed surfing the waves beside the odd body surfer who managed to ride the wave in too. Everywhere you looked there were smiling faces and laughter, Moko is a real tonic. How could you not smile watching his antics?

A dinghy came around the point at one stage and you could hear a collective sigh of disappointment as Moko took off towards it.
 

He had obviously heard the outboard, then they dropped their anchor way out in the deep and we thought that was it. Moko has a love affair with anchor chains, it’s thought this is why he has lost eight teeth during his stay in Whakatane. He grabs the chains and has been known to drag smaller boats through the water. The people on board this dinghy were obviously here to play with Moko as we spotted a rigid noodle being thrown over the side. But before long they must have realised that there were quite a number of disappointed people in closer to shore and to their credit they ran the dinghy up on the beach and came over to us where Moko had returned to play.

While my nephew was keen to visit Moko, Moko obviously didn’t have the same appeal to Leighton as he has to me. I looked around at one point to see where Leighton was and spotted him surfing the waves in closer to the shore. When he came back out to me I asked him if he was enjoying himself. He said yes it was cool body surfing!  Leighton said he’d managed to stroke Moko once but that was enough for him……."and when would we be able to get something to eat?"  I guess not everyone is smitten with Moko.

You think you're cold Leighton, just look a those girls on their brothers shoulders! -

So after a few dozen photos and two hours of play with Moko I said my farewell with a long stroke down the length of his body as he slowly swam past and then I reluctantly dragged myself out of the water and back to the beach to collect our belongings. There were still plenty of people to keep him company.

Back at the carpark we were able to have a quick cold shower before peeling off our wetsuits and shivering into our clothes. I like West End, at least you can have a shower and change before hitting the road again. Back in the car I had to pull forward into the front row for one last lingering look at Moko playing in the waves. For a brief moment he was by himself, I could see his silhouette skimming along the crest of a wave then he was gone. See you next time Moko, stay safe.

We had a quick snack and a drink in the car but I still had a hungry lad beside me who had the Golden Arches in sight but sadly for him we were not going to be stopping there if I could help it. We headed out of town and soon we were pulling into a very busy Whitehouse Café where I’d stopped for morning tea the last time I was in Whakatane. A flat white for me and a very big bowl of chips(fries) for him which we both devoured and still there were plenty left. If you are ever passing the café do stop for a bite to eat, the ladies in there are some of the friendliest I have come across in my travels. They are all a credit to the business.

This Pouwhenua(carved pole) stands just along from the cafe outside the Puawairua Marae

It was quiet ride home; Moko, sun and salt water seem to have that effect on me. Worn out but happy with our day we arrived home in time to relax and check out the photos before dinner time.

Thanks again Moko for a magical day, I have been lucky with every encounter so far, I’ve managed to locate him every time and in the two places I enjoy the most; Otarawairere Bay and West End. Perhaps next time it will finally be the river. Are there eels in there?

Here are four short YouTube links for the video clips I took on Friday-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQ1UPGDjfGs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcU8hlwNuHc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcG_RmqAYXM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NUEvgzIy7Y